Ok. This subject is truly bizarre and a little bit…delicate? Nonetheless, for tourists, there are certain things you should know. First of all, the “WC”…frankly, when I was in France I never heard this word. Everyone says “les toilettes.” Sometimes my prof says “le petit coin” (literally: the little corner? And I think this euphemism is pretty cute.) Today, the most important thing is that “WC” starts with the letter “W.” And it’s in my French dictionary.

Public toilets in France are not like in the US. Here, you can find them everywhere: in every store, mall, gas station…any and everywhere! But in France they are kind of rare. In the cities, sometimes you can find these outhouse-like things called “Sanisettes” on the streets. I have to admit I never went into one. I don’t have a photo of a “Sanisette” and perhaps that is really a good thing.

I prefer to sit on the “terrasse” of a nice café and have a coffee. After that, you can go to the “petit coin.” It’s really the best way. It’s always a good idea to have a cup of coffee or tea. (And by coffee, I mean “un expresso”…but that is another post 🙂 ) Another possibility is to go to the tourism office. Quite often I found “les toilettes” there, and besides that you can get a lot of cool brochures about the area you’re in !

There are some other differences, too. In France, I realized that a lot of times “les toilettes” are not free to use. So, it’s important to keep some coins in your pocket “just in case.” And sometimes you even find “Madame pipi” (translated, I’d say “Restroom attendant.” ) This profession (and it really is a profession there, a job just like any other) is quite rare in the US. They make sure the restroom is clean and well-equipped. I saw one of these ladies at the train station in Paris. She was quite nice. Of course, you have to leave a tip. They do a great job and they deserve it!

Alright then, I have to stop now. The last thing I will say is that the word “WC” is not really a French word. It’s borrowed from the British. In all reality, the letter “W” itself is pretty rare, with most words being borrowed, usually from German or English. (click the link above for an interesting article)

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Si c’était à refaire, qu’est-ce que je ferais de différent ? (If I could do it again, would I do anything differently?)

I do remember seeing those toilettes on the street, but never used one. Paying for toilet use reached a new high in Germany. Almost impossible to find a free one and the attendants must have had previous careers in the Stasi, the East German Secret Police. They were unbelievable!